Intellectual Property UK

  • September 03, 2026

    German IP Boutiques Bonabry, Hamm&Wittkopp To Merge

    Intellectual property law firm Bonabry Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten has said that it will merge with Hamburg, Germany-based patent attorney firm Hamm&Wittkopp at the start of 2027 to establish itself as a pharmaceuticals-focused IP litigation boutique.

  • September 03, 2026

    Kraftwerk Loses Battle Over Song Sample Deemed 'Pastiche'

    The German Federal Court of Justice ruled Thursday that a producer's use of a Kraftwerk song snippet was a pastiche and did not infringe the electronic music group's copyright, ending an almost three-decade dispute.

  • September 03, 2026

    Enterprise Rent-A-Car Loses Battle Over EU Trademark 'E'

    Enterprise Rent-A-Car failed to block the trademark registration of a Dutch renewable energy company after the European Union's intellectual property office found that members of the public would not be confused between the two companies' logos.

  • September 03, 2026

    Shoe Biz Says Rival Copied Women's Sneaker Designs

    A U.K. shoe retailer has accused a rival of infringing its design rights over two kinds of women's sneakers, telling a London court that its opponent's shoes are so similar that they must be copycats.

  • September 02, 2026

    Hoffmann Eitle Hires Norton Rose IP Pro In Munich

    Intellectual property law firm Hoffmann Eitle has hired a former Norton Rose Fulbright patent litigator as a partner in Munich to boost its technology and strategic IP practice.

  • September 02, 2026

    Puma Can't Boot Out Safety Footwear Design In EU

    Puma failed Wednesday to persuade a European Union court to nix an Italian company's design for a shoe, as the court said shoppers would notice that the rival safety footwear looked very different from the sports giant's trainers. 

  • September 02, 2026

    LG Loses Bid For Video Coding Patent At EPO

    LG Electronics lost its bid to patent a video coding technique used in virtual reality headsets, as European appellate officials ruled there were no exceptional circumstances justifying its late amendments. 

  • September 02, 2026

    InterDigital Wins Another Injunction Against Disney At UPC

    The Unified Patent Court on Wednesday restricted Disney's ability to equip its streaming services with a screen-casting function in parts of Europe, marking another defeat in its ongoing clash with InterDigital.

  • September 02, 2026

    Birkenstock Can't Get German TM For Shoe Sole Pattern

    A German court has rejected Birkenstock's appeal seeking a trademark for its shoe sole pattern, ruling that the design lacks enough distinctive character to identify the origin of the company's footwear.

  • September 01, 2026

    Meta Beats UK Co. Suit Over Instagram Shopping For Now

    A California federal judge has ruled in favor of Meta in an antitrust suit from a British company alleging Meta stole its plan for Instagram shopping, saying the injuries that were alleged happened years before the complaint was filed.

  • September 01, 2026

    Korean Juicer Co. Can't Revive Amended UPC Patent Bid

    Korean company Hurom has failed to persuade the Unified Patent Court to revive patent protections for its motorized juicer, after appellate judges upheld a ruling that invalidated the patent and dismissed Hurom's infringement claims against a rival.

  • September 01, 2026

    JD Sports Unit Can't Register 'Banal' Slogan For Outdoor Garb

    An outdoor adventure clothing brand owned by JD Sports Fashion PLC can't register "Go Outdoors" as a trademark after European officials found that shoppers would read the sign as an instruction to experience nature rather than a badge of origin.

  • September 01, 2026

    Anthropic Blocks 'Clauda' TM Over Claude Confusion Risk

    Anthropic has persuaded the European Union to block an automotive software company's "Clauda" trademark application, proving that consumers could mix up the brand with Anthropic's "Claude" artificial intelligence model.

  • September 01, 2026

    Fujifilm Can't Put UPC Defeat On Hold Amid Call For Retrial

    Appellate judges at the Unified Patent Court have refused Fujifilm's request to freeze the effects of an earlier judgment amid the Japanese company's ongoing application to reopen its dispute with Kodak.

  • September 01, 2026

    Spanish Carmaker Stops Italian Rival Getting 'S' TM In EU

    Spanish carmaker Seat has blocked an Italian rival's application for a trademark over its "S" logo, persuading European Union officials that the disputed mark would unfairly gain from the reputation of Seat's own long-standing "S" brand.

  • August 28, 2026

    Brillux Partially Rubs Out Arts And Crafts Co.'s 'Life Of Colour'

    The German-based paint manufacturer Brillux has convinced European officials to partially reject a trademark for "Life of Colour," after showing that shoppers might think colored pens and crayons were linked to its earlier "colour your life" brand. 

  • August 28, 2026

    Munich's FRAND Guidance Deepens Divide In SEP Framework

    One of Germany's busiest patent forums has given tech companies a clear route to challenge offers to license patents deemed essential to technological standards, but lawyers say the comprehensive guidance on these disputes might drive a further divide between European patent forums.

  • August 28, 2026

    ZTE Loses UK Fight Over Samsung 5G Patent In FRAND Clash

    A London judge ruled Friday that Chinese telecom giant ZTE was infringing a Samsung Electronics patent that is essential to 5G devices, marking the latest chapter in the companies' global dispute over FRAND license terms.

  • August 28, 2026

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    The past week in London has seen shoe brand Crocs bring an appeal against the chief executive of the U.K.'s Intellectual Property Office, singer Alanis Morissette sued by the former head of operations at Live Nation Israel and the son of convicted fraudster Guo Wengui file an appeal against the Chapter 11 trustee controlling his father's bankruptcy estate. 

  • August 28, 2026

    Jägermeister Loses EU TM Over Stylized Lettering

    The European Union has revoked Jägermeister's longstanding trademark over its name, ruling that the liqueur maker has not put the word itself to sufficient use because it only deploys the brand in a highly stylized fashion.

  • August 28, 2026

    UPC Warns Off 'Fishing Expeditions' When Seeking Evidence

    Appellate judges at the Unified Patent Court have warned that parties cannot force their opponents to produce evidence through speculative "fishing expeditions" that bear no link to specific allegations of infringement.

  • August 28, 2026

    Historic Winery Blocks Barilla's Bid For 'Alveari' TM

    Bodegas Alvear has convinced European officials to block Barilla from registering the trademark "Alveari" after demonstrating that the Italian food group risked free-riding on the reputation of its historic family-owned wine business. 

  • August 27, 2026

    Imperial Tobacco Can't Block Vape Maker's 'EPS' TM

    Imperial Tobacco has failed to persuade European officials to block a Hong Kong vape maker from registering the trademark "EPS," finding that consumers were unlikely to confuse it with the tobacco company's Formula One-linked cigarette brand JPS.

  • August 27, 2026

    P&G Loses EU Bid For 'Flash' TM Covering Cleaning Products

    A Spanish cosmetics company has convinced European officials to narrow Procter & Gamble's trademark application for "Flash" after it showed that shoppers might think the rival cleaning products were linked to its line of serums branded as "Flash Eye." 

  • August 27, 2026

    Huawei Unit Loses EPO Fight Over Self-Driving Data Patent

    European officials have dismissed a Huawei unit's bid to patent a data processing method for self-driving vehicles, ruling that existing technology already revealed the specific information needed to switch processing tasks.

Expert Analysis

  • What The EU AI Act Could Mean For Patent Law

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    As the EU Artificial Intelligence Act has now been endorsed by all member states, companies and patent owners with interests in the bloc may want to prepare for when the act enters into force, including by considering potential subject matter exclusions, says Terence Broderick at Murgitroyd.

  • Considering A Practical FRAND Rate Assessment Procedure

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    As the debate over a fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory rate continues inside and outside courtrooms, a practical method may assess whether the proposed FRAND rate deviates significantly from what is reasonable, and ensure an optimal mix of assets for managers of standard-essential patent portfolios, says consultant Gordon Huang.

  • How AI Inventorship Is Evolving In The UK, EU And US

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    While the U.K. Supreme Court's recent decision in Thaler v. Comptroller-General is the latest in a series of decisions by U.K., U.S. and EU authorities that artificial intelligence systems cannot be named as inventors in patents, the guidance from these jurisdictions suggests that patents may be granted to human inventors that use AI as a sophisticated tool, say lawyers at Mayer Brown.

  • Cos. Should Plan Now For Extensive EU Data Act Obligations

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    The recently enacted EU Data Act imposes wide-ranging requirements across industries and enterprises of all sizes, and with less than 20 months until the provisions begin to apply, businesses planning compliance will need to incorporate significant product changes and revision of contract terms, say Nick Banasevic, Robert Spano and Ciara O'Gara at Gibson Dunn. 

  • UK Ruling Revitalizes Discussions On Harmonizing AI And IP

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    The U.K. Supreme Court's decision in Thaler v. Comptroller-General last month has reinvigorated ongoing discussions about how the developments in artificial intelligence fit within the existing intellectual property legislative landscape, illustrating that effective regulation will be critical as the value and influence of this sector grows, say Nick White and Olivia Gray at Charles Russell.

  • AI Inventorship Patent Options After UK Supreme Court Ruling

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    The U.K. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Thaler v. Comptroller-General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks that an AI system cannot be an inventor raises questions about alternative approaches to patent protection for AI-generated inventions and how the decision might affect infringement and validity disputes around such patents, says David Knight at Brown Rudnick.

  • Acquisition Of AI Tech Poses Challenges For Media Industry

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    The artificial intelligence regulatory landscape is changing quickly, and media and entertainment companies planning to acquire AI technology through a merger, acquisition or licensing deal should be mindful of potential new compliance requirements and AI-specific insurance products, say lawyers at Covington.

  • Cos. Should Weave Metaverse Considerations Into IP Strategy

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    In light of the increasing importance of intellectual property protection in digital contexts, including a growing number of court rulings and recent updates to the classification of digital assets, companies should include the metaverse as part of their trademark strategy to prevent potential infringements, says Gabriele Engels at D Young & Co.

  • Mitigating Compliance And Litigation Risks Of Evolving Tech

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    Amid artificial intelligence and other technological advances, companies must prepare for the associated risks, including a growing suite of privacy regulations, enterprising class action theories and consumer protection challenges, and proliferating disclosure obligations, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • Major EU AI Banking Ruling Will Reverberate Across Sectors

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    Following the European Court of Justice's recent OQ v. Land Hessen decision that banks' use of AI-driven credit scores to make consumer decisions did not comply with the General Data Protection Regulation, regulators indicated that the ruling would apply broadly, leaving numerous industries that employ AI-powered decisions open to scrutiny, say lawyers at Alston & Bird.

  • English Could Be The Future Language Of The UPC

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    While most Unified Patent Court proceedings are currently held in German, the recent decisions in Plant-e v. Arkyne and Amgen v. Sanofi potentially signal that English will be the preferred language, particularly in cases involving small and medium enterprises, say lawyers at Freshfields.

  • Arbitration Remains Attractive For Digital Disputes In 2024

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    Recent regulatory and digital forum developments highlight that, in 2024, arbitration will continue to adapt to new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, and remain an attractive forum for resolving digital disputes due to its flexibility, confidentiality and comparative ease to enforce cross-border awards, says Peter Smith at Charles Russell.

  • US And UK Law Firms Continue Trend Of EU Expansion

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    A broad spectrum of U.S. and U.K. law firms are now seeking fresh opportunities in Europe's fastest growing and constantly evolving sectors by opening offices in strategic locations across the continent, says James Lavan at Buchanan Law.

  • Looking Ahead At AI Regulation In The EU And UK

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    With AI regulation agreed upon in Europe and a U.K. regulatory authority on the horizon, organizations developing AI should consider deploying governance, addressing accountability and establishing internal guardrails to achieve a balanced approach to responsible innovation while managing risk, says Chris Eastham at Fieldfisher.

  • 2024 Will Be A Busy Year For Generative AI And IP Issues

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    In light of increased litigation and policy proposals on balancing intellectual property rights and artificial intelligence innovation, 2024 is shaping up to be full of fast-moving developments that will have significant implications for AI tool developers, users of such tools and rights holders, say lawyers at Mishcon de Reya.

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